Type One Diabetes Essay -- Papers Disease Health Essays

Type One Diabetes Type 1 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is a long-term disease of the pancreas gland, which is situated within the abdomen. Every cell in the body needs insulin (a hormone released in response to increased levels of sugar in the blood) in order for glucose (blood sugar) to be absorbed into the body's cells. If the body is deficient in insulin, then glucose will build up in the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age. Every patient affected needs insulin injections to avoid the complications of insulin deficiency. When the glucose level gets sufficiently high, it starts showing up in the urine. Checking your own blood sugar is very important for being able to control diabetes. What are the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes? Increased thirst. Increased urination. Fatigue. Weight loss (although appetite often increases). Itchiness, especially around the genitals. Recurrent infections on the skin and mucous membranes (yeast infections and boils). If another member of the family has diabetes and you are experiencing any of the above symptoms on a consistent basis, it is important to seek medical attention and be tested for diabetes. There is a 5 to 10 per cent risk of a child developing diabetes if either one of the parents or a sibling has Type 1 diabetes. How is Type 1 diabetes treated? Diabetes is treated by: intake of insulin staying physically active and getting plenty of exercise maintaining a steady weight eating a proper diet containing a controlled amount of carbohydrates. The goal of insulin treatment is to control the amount of insulin in ... ...used? Diabetic acidosis is treated in the hospital on an inpatient basis, often in an Intensive Care Unit. Treatment consists of: intravenous fluids, initially with salt-containing, and later glucose-containing fluids intravenous insulin drip-feed (infusion) potassium supplements added to the infusion antibiotics, if an infection is identified. Exercise Some diabetic patients think exercise will take care of high blood glucose levels and ketone bodies in the urine. In fact, this only makes things worse. Diabetic acidosis is caused by a low insulin level and must be treated with insulin. Long-term prospects If the diabetic acidosis is diagnosed and treated early, the patient should recover fully within a few days. If the acidosis is not treated promptly, it will become life-threatening.